Coffee with Designers: Jessica Neilas

For our Coffee with Designers section we had a chat with Wolfe ID founder Jessica Neilas.

What prompted you to start your own firm?

I had previously owned a design company focused on real estate development. The design work was limited, creativity-wise, because it was driven by cost and code-compliancy. I’m a pretty big biology nerd, so I started researching what makes “good design” at the core of human perception – that’s when I discovered research-based design, environmental psychology and biophilic design. 

You’ve been described as a biophilic designer. Why do you choose to integrate nature into your designs? 

For me, design needs to centre [around] the human experience. Surrounding ourselves with concrete, glass and steel, as we do in larger urban environments, can leave us feeling isolated. Why do we love hardwood floors and dramatic marbles? Because humans are intrinsically connected to nature. 

What kind of projects would you like to do more of in the future?

I’d love to work with clients who are aiming to create a healthy home on a large scale – with lighting systems catering to circadian rhythms, passive home construction, air and water filtration, and rooms designed specifically to evoke the energy levels desired by its residents. WOLFEID.COM

Jessica’s Picks:
Book: The Fountain Head by Ayn Rand
Podcast: How I Built This
TV Show: ‘The Boys’ has been wildly entertaining. I also loyally follow F1.
Music: Rufus Du Sol & Cannons have been the soundtrack to my last couple of months.